Sealing Products Asbestos Exposure

Sealing Products and Historical Asbestos Use

Industrial equipment relies on sealing products to control leakage where pipes, flanges, shafts, valve stems and equipment housings connect or move. In older systems, asbestos was used in some sealing materials because of its resistance to heat and deterioration.

Static sealing products included certain flange and casing gaskets. Dynamic sealing products included packing installed around moving shafts or valve stems. Other sealing applications could involve rope, sheet material or compounds used where high temperature or pressure demanded durable materials.

The presence of an older pump, valve or pipe system does not prove that asbestos-containing seals were installed. Replacement products could change many times over the life of the equipment.

Types of Sealing Products That May Have Contained Asbestos

Depending on manufacturer, application and year, historical asbestos-containing sealing products may have included:

• compressed asbestos sheet gaskets;
• flange and casing gaskets;
• spiral-wound gasket fillers;
• braided or ring-style packing;
• pump and valve packing;
• asbestos rope used for sealing or packing;
• asbestos-rubber or composite packing materials;
• high-temperature sealing compounds;
• seal materials used around boilers, turbines and steam systems; and
• other industrial sealing products incorporating asbestos fibers.

These categories do not establish that every similar product contained asbestos. Product-specific evidence is important whenever possible.

How Asbestos Exposure Could Occur

A potential exposure pathway requires asbestos-containing sealing material and work that disturbs it. Installed material may remain compressed between surfaces or inside a stuffing box until maintenance begins.

• cutting gasket sheet to fit flanges or equipment;
• punching bolt holes in gasket material;
• removing old flange or casing gaskets;
• scraping gasket residue from metal surfaces;
• pulling packing from pumps or valves;
• cutting packing rings or rope to length;
• grinding or sanding sealing residue;
• repairing pumps, valves, boilers or turbines;
• cleaning maintenance debris from work areas; and
• dismantling older process equipment.

Actual exposure depends on asbestos content, material condition, disturbance method, frequency, duration, proximity, ventilation and controls.

Workers and Workplaces That May Have Encountered Asbestos Sealing Products

Workers who fabricated, installed, removed or replaced older sealing products may have encountered asbestos-containing materials when those products were present and disturbed. A job title alone does not establish exposure.

Potentially relevant occupations may include pipefitters, steamfitters, millwrights, machinists, pump repair workers, valve mechanics, boilermakers, stationary engineers, turbine mechanics and industrial maintenance employees.

Possible settings include power plants, refineries, chemical plants, factories, shipyards, boiler rooms, engine rooms, pumping stations and industrial maintenance shops.

Nearby workers may also be relevant when gasket scraping, packing removal or fabrication generated dust in shared work areas.

Removal, Fabrication and Maintenance Exposure Risks

Gasket fabrication

Sheet gasket material was sometimes cut, punched or trimmed by hand or machine. If the sheet contained asbestos, those tasks could directly disturb the material.

Gasket removal

Old gaskets can adhere strongly to flange or casing surfaces. Dry scraping, sanding or grinding of asbestos-containing gasket residue could release dust.

Packing removal

Compressed packing may be pulled from stuffing boxes with hooks or picks. If the packing contained asbestos, removal and cutting replacement material could disturb fibers.

Machinery overhaul

Major repairs to pumps, valves, turbines, boilers and process equipment can involve several sealing products during a single job. Each gasket, packing or seal should be identified separately when possible.

Cleanup

Historical dry sweeping, brushing or compressed-air cleanup of sealing debris could increase the potential for settled dust to become airborne.

Evidence That May Identify Asbestos-Containing Sealing Products

Exposure reconstruction is strongest when evidence identifies the exact sealing product, manufacturer, grade or part number, equipment application, service period and work performed.

• manufacturer and brand names;
• product labels, boxes, rolls or packaging;
• gasket or packing style and grade numbers;
• equipment manuals and illustrated parts lists;
• flange, pump, valve or turbine specifications;
• technical data sheets and historical catalogs;
• purchase orders, invoices and supplier records;
• storeroom inventory records;
• maintenance, shutdown and overhaul logs;
• historic photographs of equipment or materials;
• asbestos surveys or abatement records;
• laboratory analysis of surviving sealing material;
• employer, union or military records documenting assignments; and
• coworker or supervisor statements identifying products and tasks.

Evidence should distinguish the equipment manufacturer from the manufacturer or supplier of replacement sealing products whenever possible.

Medical and pathology records may document an asbestos-related diagnosis but do not establish which historical sealing product was an exposure source.

Secondhand Exposure and Health Risks

If fabrication or maintenance involving asbestos-containing sealing products generated fibers that accumulated on clothing, shoes, tools or belongings, asbestos could potentially have been carried away from the workplace. This is a possible secondhand exposure pathway, but family relationship alone does not establish exposure.

Asbestos exposure is associated with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis and other asbestos-related disease. Working with older sealing materials does not diagnose disease and does not establish individual medical causation.

Anyone concerned about historical occupational asbestos exposure should discuss their work history and health with a qualified healthcare professional.

Legal and Compensation Considerations

Depending on the evidence and circumstances, legal options may be available to a person diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after documented exposure to a specific asbestos-containing sealing product.

A legal review may consider the sealing-product manufacturer, distributor or supplier, equipment manufacturer where relevant, workplace, service period, tasks performed, frequency and duration of exposure, diagnosis, jurisdiction and filing deadlines.

Identifying a pump, valve, boiler, turbine or other equipment manufacturer does not automatically establish that it manufactured or supplied every gasket, packing or seal used during the equipment’s service life or that it is legally responsible. Liability is case-specific and depends on product evidence, exposure evidence and governing law.

Some matters may involve asbestos trust funds, but each trust has its own product, exposure and medical documentation requirements. Eligibility is not automatic, and compensation is not guaranteed.

Exposure that occurred decades ago does not by itself determine whether a claim is timely. Statutes of limitation and other deadlines vary by jurisdiction and circumstances and should be reviewed individually.

Sealing Products Asbestos Exposure FAQs

Did some old sealing products contain asbestos?

Yes. Historical asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, rope and other sealing products were used in industrial equipment, piping and high-temperature systems.

How are gaskets and packing different?

Gaskets generally seal static joints between surfaces, while packing is commonly used around moving shafts or valve stems.

Could valve and pump seals contain asbestos?

Some historical valve and pump sealing systems used asbestos-containing gaskets or packing, depending on product, manufacturer and year.

Can scraping old gasket material release asbestos fibers?

Potentially, if the gasket contains asbestos and scraping, sanding or grinding disturbs the material.

Can removing packing create asbestos exposure?

Potentially, when asbestos-containing packing is pulled, cut, scraped or otherwise disturbed during maintenance.

Did every old sealing product contain asbestos?

No. Many sealing materials were made from rubber, graphite, cork, PTFE, metal and other non-asbestos materials.

What evidence can identify asbestos-containing sealing products?

Useful evidence can include manufacturer names, product grades, packaging, equipment manuals, invoices, maintenance records, laboratory reports and witness testimony.

Does working with old sealing products automatically qualify someone for compensation?

No. Legal eligibility depends on product identification, asbestos-content evidence, exposure history, diagnosis, jurisdiction and other case-specific facts. Compensation is not guaranteed.

For related information, see Industrial Components & Sealing Products Asbestos Exposure, Gasket Products Asbestos Exposure, Packing Products Asbestos Exposure, Pump Products Asbestos Exposure, Coating Products Asbestos Exposure, Rope Products Asbestos Exposure, Steam Products Asbestos Exposure, Pumps, Valves & Gaskets Asbestos Exposure, and the main Asbestos Exposure in Products guide.

Get Help Reviewing Sealing Product Exposure

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or another asbestos-related disease and you are trying to identify older gaskets, packing, rope, sealants or other sealing materials from a power plant, refinery, chemical plant, factory, shipyard, boiler room or industrial maintenance setting, we can help organize the product and exposure history that may be relevant.

Call 800.291.0963 to discuss what you remember about the sealing product, manufacturer, equipment, workplace and work performed. Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Submit Your Case using the form below.

Prior exposure does not automatically establish a legal claim. Eligibility depends on the evidence, diagnosis, jurisdiction and other circumstances, and compensation is not guaranteed.

⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not medical or legal advice. The information does not establish asbestos exposure, diagnosis, causation, liability, claim eligibility or compensation. Medical concerns should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional, and legal questions should be reviewed with a qualified attorney.